What Trauma Is Really About

One of the common thread with humans is that we all go through different things in life and experience different challenges at one point or another. Disturbing or distressing events occur that leave us overwhelmed and challenges our ability to cope with what we are presented with. At times like this, we find ourselves struggling with upsetting emotions, memories and anxiety that won’t go away, and the response to these chain of events is what we call trauma. It’s not the circumstance that determines whether the event is traumatic or not, but rather your emotional response to it. More often than not, this response is not something you can control.

Trauma differs from person to person. Everyone responds to traumatic events differently because we all face them through the lens of prior experiences in our lives. Trauma is not experienced only by someone that passes through a traumatic incidence, but also those that are close to them. Trauma falls on a broad spectrum ranging from complex to post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), with some having physical manifestations and others being purely psychological. After a traumatic event, the victim may experience shock and denial which is a very normal reaction as it protects them from the emotional impact of the event they just witnessed. Once the initial shock wears off, they may begin to experience a range of emotions from irritability to mood swings, anger, sadness, anxiety, insomnia etc.

We have different types of trauma;

• Emotional and psychological trauma;

Trauma that affects the mind, and makes the bearer feel insecure, reduces their trust in other people and leads to serious long term consequences. It can be caused by accidents, violent attack or abuse, life threatening illness, death of a loved one, heartbreak and domestic abuse.

• Post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD);

This can happen when a person has been exposed to a terrifying event or has been through an ordeal in which intense physical harm was done that threatened their life, and the effect lingers for a long time. It stems from events such as physical or sexual assault, war or natural disaster, death of a loved one. This can leave lasting feelings of intense fear, helplessness and horror and it can affect the course of their life.

• Developmental trauma;

This trauma forms from the early years of childhood. It is mostly as result of abuse, neglect or abandonment, which interferes with the child’s neurological and psychological development. Experiencing trauma as a child can result in a severe and long-lasting effect. When childhood trauma is not resolved, a sense of fear and helplessness is carried over into adulthood, setting the stage for further trauma.

These traumas may lead to PTSD if not properly managed and addressed immediately.  PTSD is a type of anxiety disorder that affects stress hormones and changes the body’s responses to stress. People with this disorder require strong social support and ongoing therapy. Many veterans returning from war suffer from PTSD. PTSD can cause an intense physical and emotional response to any thought or memory of the events. It can last for months or years following trauma. A history of trauma, along with other physical, genetic, psychological, and social factors may play a role in developing PTSD. After an experience, a person may re-experience the event either mentally or physically which can be caused by triggers directly or indirectly.

Having triggers is a sign that the body and mind are trying to cope with the traumatic event. They may turn to substance abuse to escape or dampen the feeling.

Signs and symptoms of Trauma

Shock

Anger

Sadness

Insomnia

Mood swings

Isolation

Depression

Flashbacks

Anxiety

Guilt

Panic attacks

Lack of concentration

Trauma stems from a lot of things that happened in a person’s lives and there is no right or wrong way to respond to trauma. People have different coping mechanism which works for them.

How to manage traumas

There are many ways to cope with traumatic events and restore your emotional stability;

• Share the experience with close friends and family or have a journal where you write your thoughts and feelings.
• Give yourself time to heal, don’t be in a hurry. It’s a process that takes time.
• Exercise. Take 10 minutes to get your mind and body racing, it helps clear your head.
• Connect with other people, don’t isolate. Going through a trauma will make you want to isolate, you don’t have to talk about it Comfort comes from engaging and feeling accepted by other people.
• Ask for support. You can join a support group with other people who have gone through traumatising events. Listening to them can help reduce the feeling of isolation and help you cope with the trauma.
• Seek professional help. If you are still having trouble functioning properly or suffering from triggers or still experiencing anxiety and depression then it’s time to seek professional help.

It is possible to heal from trauma. But, it will require a willingness to ask for help and going through with the healing process.